Instructors-TEST

Our Pilates Instructors

Whether you’re getting married, training for a race, rehabilitating an injury or just ready to tackle a new fitness challenge, our Pilates instructors are available to design a custom program to complement your active, healthy and balanced lifestyle.

All of our instructors have completed comprehensive, certified training programs, gaining expertise & knowledge in the history, philosophy, and biomechanics of the Pilates Method.

KARA CUPIT

Cara received her 600-hour comprehensive Pilates certification in 2006 through Physical Mind and began her instruction in a local physical therapy studio where she was privileged to work with many different body types with various conditions. She enjoys helping her clients achieve their physical goals whether they are moms, professional athletes, computer programmers, or casual fitness buffs. She is committed to working with each individual at their level and strives to improve their performance in whatever activities they are involved in.

This year Cara completed another Pilates certification through Balanced Body and is fully certified through this highly regarded company in the Pilates industry. She is also a member of the PMA (Pilates Method Alliance). Along with these certifications, Cara has also completed additional advanced Pilates courses that include Pilates for Golfers, Pilates for Osteoporosis, and Pilates for Muscular-Skeletal conditions. Cara is also a certified Gyrotonic instructor.

Outside the pilates studio, you can find Cara running in the park, at one of many local coffee shops, or out and about enjoying all of the things the city of Atlanta has to offer. Cara is an accomplished equestrian and used Pilates to maintain her fitness and keep her injury free. She is actively involved in various programs helping underprivileged children both here in the United States and in other countries as well.

SUSAN LEEDER

After taking a few sessions of  Pilates,  Susan fell in love with how the practice helped her body to move with ease, strength,  and grace. Wanting to help others experience what she had, Susan decided to pursue a career as an instructor and started on her journey of completing the 500 + hours required by the Balanced Body Teacher Training Program. After becoming a certified instructor, she was presented with an opportunity and hired to teach at the same studio of which she obtained her training. Under the Mentorship Program of BBU Teacher Trainer,  Donna Riley, and several other BBU teacher trainers, this allowed her the unique opportunity to continue to grow as an instructor as she observed, practiced and taught under their tutelage; giving her invaluable skills and insight. Susan is a  certified Instructor and her love of  Pilates is what she shares with her clients, teaching them not just the exercises but showing how the method of Pilates movement and the mind all affect and improve their overall experience. She encourages her clients to go beyond what they think they can do and to trust what their bodies are capable of doing.  “I love how empowered a client feels when they have achieved a goal that they didn’t think they would ever be able to do.  It feels rewarding for both of us and is the main reason I wanted to start teaching,” said Susan. Susan has lived in Atlanta for over 35 years. When not teaching, she enjoys spending her time exploring art, botanical gardens, hiking, traveling, pursuing new interests,  and spending time with family and friends. In her pursuit of continuing education, Susan has completed the following: Open the Mind – Open the Body The Pilates Center Boulder Colorado – Amy Taylor Alpers – Rachel Taylor Segel 3 Core Connections Perspective of Embodied Anatomy and Functional Fascial Fitness Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle/Pilates Center Austin Thoracolumbar Fascia: The Second Brain of Movement – Shari Berkowitz Seeing the Truth in Movement-Amy Taylor Alpers How Does Fascia Work-Anna Maria Vitali, MD

LEILANA MILLER

Leilani Miller PMA-CPT is what one may call a movement enthusiast. Her passion to share her enthusiasm for movement is what drives her teaching.  She completed the Ron Fletcher Program of Study in 2011 in order to begin teaching Pilates while dancing part-time in Monarch Dance Company. She taught at various locations throughout eastern Pennsylvania since then. She received her PMA certification in 2015.  
One of her most important values as a teacher is continuing to learn and practice. She strives to stay inspired and educated in order to consistently breathe fresh life into her teaching. She aims to help her clients achieve what each individual needs to improve physical wellbeing, and help them discover the joy in doing so.

PAIGE PRICE

Paige first began her health and fitness journey in 2009 when she started taking Pilates classes, yoga, and barre.  While earning her Bachelors of Science in Nutrition, Health, and Human Development from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.   She taught barre classes for a few studios in Birmingham, AL and in Asheville, NC.  She completed three different barre method certifications.

In 2016 she completed the Pilates training through Balanced Body  for Reformer, Tower and chair trainings.  In 2017, she began an additional Pilates instructor training program through the Polestar Pilates organization in Jacksonville, FL and in Nashville, TN.  In April of 2019 she completes her Polestar certification.

In her spare time, Paige enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her family.  My intention has always been to help people find their strength.  I believe sharing my passion of movement and wellness is the key to combining my purpose and my passion.

JACKIE ROSENTHAL

Jackie Rosenthal has been a fitness instructor and trainer for 27 years teaching everything from water fitness to step, high impact, boot camp, stretch and sculpt classes. She is certified by the American College of Exercise (ACE).

In 2000, Jackie received her 600-hour comprehensive mat and apparatus certification in the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning under the tutelage of Katy Roelle from Reformation Pilates. She has received additional training and continuing education from Power Pilates, STOTT Pilates, Peak Pilates and recently, in 2015, through classically trained teachers Dana Santi, Murat Berkin, MeJo Wiggin, Brooke Tyler, and Jay Grimes.

Jackie, who has a Master’s Degree in Health Policy, works for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Health Communications Specialist in the area of Reproductive Health.
In her free time, Jackie loves to exercise taking other teacher’s classes and trainings in an effort to stay current and innovative. She spends her free time with her husband, Adam, and two children Ellie and Alex.

LAURA ROSSINI

Laura’s personal affinity for Pilates as a mindful movement began with her desire to find more flexibility, balance, and calmness in her personal life and as a professional dancer. Her appreciation of the integrated movement quality of Pilates grew as Laura transitioned from a dancer’s life on tour with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She finds practicing and teaching Pilates keeps her in her body and sparks a deeper desire to learn and grow. Embracing Pilates as a balance between stability and freedom, Laura encourages her clients to find connections and explore the potential in their bodies. Laura is Balance Body University Certified in Mat, Reformer, Trapeze Table (Cadillac) and Tower. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and is completing her comprehensive certification in 2018.

DONNA RILEY

Donna Riley began studying Pilates 30 years ago as a Dance Major at Rutgers University. Upon graduation, she went into the world of fitness acquiring many certifications along the way. She moved to Atlanta, connected with Leslie Clayton at Body Awareness Studio and committed fully to the world of Pilates.

Over 20 years of teaching Pilates, including 10 years as a Pilates teacher trainer, she has motivated, inspired, and empowered hundreds of people to fully embrace the brilliance of the human body. She has the gift of seeing beyond what most people can see. Referring to her intuitive style, Mary Bowen affectionately called Donna “divinely inappropriate” in her unique and creative way of finding solutions to her client’s challenges. Donnas’ capacity for thinking outside the box, combined with her vast knowledge and analytical abilities, allow her to guide people deeper into their bodies and achieve things they didn’t think were possible. Donna is passionate about helping people understand that how you move is a metaphor for how you show up in life. As Joseph said, “Find the end result with the least amount of effort”.

As a student of life, Donna is always seeking opportunities for growth. Five years ago she began studying with Bob Cooley, author of “The Genius of Flexibility”. Through her training and experiences with him, she was able to elevate herself and her teaching abilities to another whole level. Now, Donna is known as the “teacher’s teacher”. She derives tremendous delight and satisfaction in mentoring teachers to become the highest version of them so they can fully share their gifts with the world.

Donna has been a faculty teacher for Balanced Body for 8+ years in their teacher training program. She is a member of PMA (Pilates Method Alliance).

She has studied and achieved the following certifications :
Workshops with Elizabeth Larkam –
Balancing the Slings in the Pilates Studio
How the Organs Affect Movement in Pilates Practice
Fascia Oriented Training in the Pilates Studio

Workshop with Madeline Black –
Support the Arms – Upper Thorax to Hand – From Wrist to Spine

Workshops with Shari Berkowitz –
Twisted and Rotated Pelvises
Thoracolumbar Fascia – the Second Brain of Movement

Workshop with Nancy Myers –
Assessing and Correcting Gait

Workshop with Karen Clippinger –
Hip and Knee Biomechanics on the Reformer

In addition to these workshops, Donna presents the following workshops on tour –

Progressing Your Clients to the Edge and Beyond
Returning to the Essence of Pilates
How to Take it to the Edge and Beyond: The Art of Progression
Resistance Stretching: A New Look at Flexibility Training
Biotensegrity vs. Biomechanics: A Contemporary Approach to Movement